Religious Liberty

WASHINGTON (BP)—Brent Leatherwood’s first trip to Washington, D.C., as head of the Southern Baptists’ public policy entity, impressed upon him a recognition of the appreciation both government leaders and he has for the churches of the convention.

WASHINGTON (BP)—The U.S. Senate took the first and an apparently decisive step Wednesday (Nov. 16) toward codifying same-sex marriage into law with the aid of more than one-fifth of Republicans in the chamber.

NASHVILLE (BP) – Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has included increased violence against religious leaders and widespread attacks on religious sites, according to a recently issued report.

BREMERTON, Wash. (BP) – A high school football coach whose right to pray at midfield following games was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court after he was removed from his job is to be reinstated by next spring.

WASHINGTON (BP) – A California judge has ruled in favor of a Christian cake designer in the latest court decision regarding the conflict between religious freedom and same-sex marriage.

WASHINGTON (BP) – Christian convert Muhammad Kace, serving a 10-year prison term in Indonesia for blasphemy, was convicted of insulting the Prophet Muhammad in hundreds of YouTube videos after his conversion in 2014.

NEW YORK (BP) – SBC President Bart Barber was a guest of Anderson Cooper on CBS’ 60 Minutes program Sunday (Oct. 9). The 13-minute segment dealt with issues of sexual abuse in the SBC, political division in the United States surrounding former President Donald Trump, the separation of church and state, abortion, immigration and same-sex marriage.

HUNTSVILLE, Texas (BP) – Dana Moore prayed – his left hand holding a Bible and his right over John Henry Ramirez’s heart – as the death row inmate took his final breaths Oct. 5, the wish Ramirez had expressed following his turn to Christianity years earlier.

WASHINGTON (BP) – The Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission has urged the Biden administration to retract a proposed rule it says would violate the consciences of individuals and entities that object to gender-transition procedures.

WASHINGTON (BP) – The U.S. Supreme Court has denied – at least for now – a request by the country’s oldest Jewish university that the justices block enforcement of a judicial requirement it must grant recognition to a gay and transgender student group.